


Agenda 5

by Ace of Spades (dejected_daydreams)



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Destiny, F/M, Reader-Insert, Rise of Iron, Robot/Human Relationships, Warlock Reader, lots of fluff, suggestive content, will update tags chapter-to-chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:05:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dejected_daydreams/pseuds/Ace%20of%20Spades
Summary: "Fifth time's a charm."You've been with Hunters before. Egotistic, selfish, and arrogant, you learned long ago that Warlocks and Hunters just don't mix. But as smart as they are, Warlocks aren't always right, and Hunters aren't always as bad as you once thought. Hunters don't have much time on their hands, but you'll put each other on the agenda and pray to the Traveler that this is more than just a swift ride.





	1. Origin Story

_“Your inciting incident is their tragic ending.”_

Hunters were lone wolves. Most prefered to stay untouched by commitments, to responsibility or to others. They stayed deep within the wilds, lusting after the thrill of the high-risk, high-reward scenarios that came with being a Hunter. Warlocks were fine with the confines of the tower, as some other their best work could be done there. But Hunters needed more, and needed to be free in every way of the world.

Which is why you always thought Hunters would make shitty romantic partners. How a Titan or a Warlock could even be with a Hunter was beyond you. First of all, Hunters would almost never be caught dead spending longer than a day in the tower. How would you be able to make time for each other? Secondly, commitment. I mean, come on, if Cayde-6 had a hard time committing to the Vanguard, then how could a Hunter stay committed to a partner? And lastly, Hunters were reckless. They’d throw themselves into a situation without a plan, one that they may not get out of. One that would leave you without your partner.

In short, you thought that even a head-bashing titan would be better than a Hunter.

Which is why you were shocked when you met one that made your heart beat faster than it probably should have when it was a freaking Hunter coming onto you.

“Have I introduced you to Shiro yet?” Cayde asked you, taking a sip a of his drink.

“Shiro?”

“Shiro-4? My little trainee? Murders really big four-legged purple guys for a living?” Cayde describes, exaggerating every word with his hands. You shake your head.

“Don’t know many Hunters,” you reply. “Can’t get to know any if they never stay around the Tower for too long. Why do you ask?” Cayde laughs, and you raise an eyebrow in response.

“Well for starters, you’re always complaining about how you haven’t been able to meet someone in the Tower, and on the off-chance you do, it’s always a cocky Warlock.” Cayde would be giving you a rather smug expression if he were human, but a slight shift in his mouth plates made due. But it was true. Many Warlocks were too cocky for their own good, acted like know-it-alls. Which you hated. Sure, Warlocks were smart, and you were no exception. But no Warlock knew everything, and those who thought they did typically knew nothing.

“Yea, I’ll give you that. But how does meeting someone outside of the Tower change anything? I mean, I’m always here, how would it would out if their always outside the city walls? It just makes sense I’d date a Warlock, or even a Titan,” you said.

“Shiro is a scout for the Vanguard. He comes in more often than most Hunters to make reports and to attend meetings, I’d reckon it’d work well for the both of you.”

“And how would he be better than others I’ve dated? Hunters are too ostentatious,” you replied with the wave of a hand. Cayde put his hand to his heart, feigning pain.

“Now that just pulls at the heartstrings, Warlock. Ouch. Is it the cloak? I bet it’s the cloak. You know, a Hunter has got to look good while kicking ass. It’s part of the job description.” You laugh, and he gives a faint smile in return. “What else do I have to say to convince ya? He’s a nice guy, a gentleman - er, exo, - and he’s gonna be here soon, so, yea!” Cayde says in a chipper tone, and you narrow your eyes at the exo. Seriously?! Trying to set you up with someone you’d never even seen before, and to top it all off, he was a Hunter. You were pissed.

“Really, Cayde? You know I don’t do impromptu dates, and you know I don’t date Hunters-” you begin, but Cayde cut you off.

“Hey hey hey, easy there little Warlock. He’s coming from the Iron Temple to give a report in the morning on SIVA. I invited him to have a drink with me, and I figured it’d be a good time for you two to meet. No setup, no expectations, no nothing. So humor me?” Your face softened a bit after Cayde’s words, but you weren’t fully convinced. It was Cayde, and you knew he’d try to pull something over on you. “Just for tonight? If you don’t like him, you’ll probably never meet him again. Like you said, he’s a Hunter, and he’s out most of the time.”

He was right. If you weren’t into him, you’d never run into him again. Being stationed on a mission involving SIVA, you were sure of it. That matter was too pressing to be spending time off slacking at the Tower. He was a Hunter, and you were a Warlock, and that would not work out regardless. But it would be an hour, and what’s the harm in humoring Cayde with something as trivial as this? Besides, nothing a drink or two couldn’t fix.

“Fine, you win. When’ll he be here?” you ask, finishing the last of your drink and waving over the bartender for another one.

“His ship will be landing here in five,” Cayde responded, and you’d spit out your drink in sheer panic if you had one on you right now. The bartender made his way towards you, and you gave your order quickly.

“I don’t care what it is, make it strong.”

“Oh come on, he’s not that bad, trust me!” Cayde says in disbelief. “Or what, can’t have any faith in a Hunter?”

“That’s exactly it,” you say sarcastically. Cayde gives you a pleading look.

“Listen, I know you don’t like Hunters, but I’m begging you to give him chance. Without the whiskey preferably. Yea, he’s a Hunter, but he’s your type, and there’s nothing that can’t be worked out with him if you’re interested. He’s a good man.”

“I never said I wouldn’t give him a chance. But it’s not happening without alcohol. Compromise.”

“Only one more drink,” Cayde shot back. You nod in agreement. Hopefully this last drink would be enough to loosen you up. Hopefully.

There’s a moment of silence until the door makes an obnoxiously loud chime in contrast to quietness of the quaint bar. You look over, and there’s a tall exo in yellow and black armor making his way towards your group. His cloak signals importance, were those banners from the House of Kings? Maybe Cayde was trying to play a trick on you, because you knew what a cloak said about a Hunter. And his gave you the feeling of certainty that there would be some kind of cockiness there, being that he was flaunting his Fallen victories with ease.

“Cayde, don’t tell me you’re trying to pick this poor girl up,” he says playfully. Cayde raises his hands defensively, and the other exo lets out a small chuckle.

“Hey, she’s just a friend! Those days have been long gone since I became Vanguard. I have a reputation to keep!” You have the urge to ask him what reputation, but you keep silent, testing the waters with the new guy.

“Good to hear it, I’ll hold you to it, then,” the new guy jokes, and they both laugh. You can tell they’re close friends, and the mood is easygoing between the two of them. But the air is somewhat tense to you, and you can’t pinpoint why. Probably a mix of your social awkwardness and the strange awareness that your best friend wants to hook you up with this total stranger.

“So this is the Warlock I’ve been telling you about,” Cayde starts, and you already want to blow his brains out in the first minute of this meeting. Great. So much for that “no expectations” part he had mentioned. You might have to break that deal about only having one drink. “Her specialty is tech, and I thought she’d like to hear your stories about SIVA too.” You were curious about what Cayde had said about you, but that’d have to wait. But if Cayde’s stories from the wilds were anything to go off of though, you may not be against hearing about stuff involving SIVA from the new guy. Especially involving SIVA.

“Cayde’s told me many good things about you, Warlock.” He extends his hand, and you shake it. You blush, and you’re not sure if it’s because of his words, the slight contact, or the embarrassment of the situation. “My name’s Shiro-4, I work for as a scout for the Vanguard.” He seemed much more composed than other Hunters. Not too cocky, not too egotistic. He seemed respectable, and definitely seemed like a better fit for the Vanguard than Cayde, comparing your first impressions with the two. The way he carried himself stuck to you, and it made you start thinking about the potential of being open minded to Cayde’s idea.

Shiro takes the seat beside Cayde, and you’re almost disappointed he didn’t sit next to you. But you finish your drink in a hurry to counteract this strange emotion that shouldn’t exist with a Hunter while the two of them talk about Traveler knows what. They’re so engrossed in their conversation that you order another drink without Cayde noticing: or at least, commenting. You feel the warm of the alcohol wash over you, and think that maybe you should have ate something before all of this, because you’re losing yourself quickly.

“So how about Lord Salad Man? How’s the old man holding up?” Cayde asks.

“He’d kill you if he heard you call him that,” Shiro laughs, finishing the bottle of whatever he had been drinking. He pushes it aside, and it didn’t look like he was going to drink anymore. You had to admire the self-control you clearly lacked in this situation.

“I’m expecting you have plenty of good stories, Shiro. Don’t disappoint: I’ve been stuck in the tower for an eternity, and I bet the little Warlock here wants in too, even though she’s too wasted to pay attention,” Cayde slams, and you punch his arm as hard as you can without thinking. It ends up hurting you far more than him.

“I’m not too drunk!” you protest, even though you’re slightly out of your mind. Shiro doesn’t make fun of you in this state though, unlike a certain exo. He leans over to catch your eyes, and you can’t help but find yourself looking into his brilliant blue in this intoxicated state.

“Heard you were interested in SIVA,” he said, not breaking eye contact. “I’ve got quite the story if you’re interested, Warlock.” All you can do is nod, too drunk to try and form a coherent sentence without embarrassing yourself.

“This better be good,” Cayde butts in. “Not some dumb stuff on SIVA that only a Warlock would care about,” he jokes.

“Is a story involving near death something only a Warlock would care about?” Shiro retorts. Cayde would raise an eyebrow if he had one.

“Better prove me wrong, Shiro, Traveller knows I haven’t heard a decent story in ages.”

\---

The night carries on with stories from Shiro, and you try and stay as focused as you can. Your mind dips in and out between words and sentences, and you hope you’ll remember what he said the next day as to not make a fool of yourself. You have another drink, and Shiro remains accommodating when you ask him to repeat something that your drunken mind couldn’t quite clasp onto. Cayde continuously pokes fun at your current state, but cautiously watches over you to make sure you don’t overdo it with the alcohol.

It’s late, and as much as you’re loving all the Hunter stories, Cayde recognizes that the night was too much for you, and he has Vanguard duties to attend to early the next day. Or, with the time, that day.

“Can you be there at ten?” Cayde asks. “Sorry about the time, but you know, Ikora and Zavala are as concerned and uptight as per usual.”

“No, it’s fine, I can be there early. The report is ready, and I need to ask them for some more reinforcements. The Fallen are ruthless, and our current numbers aren’t cutting it,” Shiro says in a more serious manner compared to the night. He stand up, ready to say his farewells, but his eyes fall on you. Your europhia had settled into exhaustion, and neither Shiro nor Cayde would be comfortable with leaving you alone. They both gave each other a look, and Shiro spoke up. “I’ll take her home,” he volunteered.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ve got her,” Cayde reassured, but Shiro insisted.

“No, really. You have to get up earlier than I do, I’ll take her. Besides, I wouldn’t mind having her company for a little while longer,” he persisted, and you gave him a soft smile. You couldn’t argue that you might need someone, and his words wouldn’t have made it any easier to decline.

“Thanks, Shiro. I appreciate it. G’night, you both, see you in the morning,” Cayde said, leisurely making his way out of the venue.

Shiro helped you off of the bar stool, and you gratefully slunk into his arm, resting your head on his bicep. “Ready to go, little Warlock?” If it were Cayde, you’d argue at the annoyingly stupid nickname. But not now, not when you were in the arms of a Hunter that was far too much of a gentleman to even be a Hunter. Not when he said it with far more adoration in his voice than Cayde had. You relaxed into him as he led you outside, with your ghost out in front to guide him towards your apartment building.

You shivered, the cold air sweeping against your bare arms. The burn from the alcohol wasn’t there to keep you warm, but it was a short walk, you’d just try to leech from Shiro’s body heat until then.

But Hunters were too damn perceptive.

He let go of you for a moment, and you staggered, almost losing your balance, having been too reliant on the Exo. You looked up at him for an explanation, but in an instant, his cloak was wrapped ever so delicately around your frame. He secured it around the front, and you could feel the burn back on your cheeks when your eyes met. It could have been the alcohol talking, but you’d know in the morning. For now you’d let your heart beat a little faster, because you hadn’t felt this way in a while. Not this good.

“Thanks,” you whispered softly, pulling the cloak in closer to your chest. It was longer on you than Shiro and the bottom dragged against the ground, but Shiro didn’t seem to care. He looped his arm around the small of your back and you grew hotter from the touch.

“Of course, Lady Guardian,” he said, voice lower than before. Yep. The alcohol was definitely heightening your emotions, you determined. Didn’t mean you wouldn’t enjoy them, though. And “Lady Guardian”? You could grow used to that.

The rest of your walk was in silence, but comforting silence. You both were content with each other’s presence and that was all you needed. And to be honest, that was the best kind of feeling. Just being able to be with one another without feeling obligated to fill a gap with useless words and small talk, because the gentle touch from the other was simply enough. And when you reached the front of your apartment building, you wanted more of that silence because you didn’t want to face your feelings, alcohol-induced or not.

You looked at your feet as you tried to come up with the right words to say while your mind was still fuzzy. “You’re not like other Hunters,” you muttered, turning to face him. He seemed confused, mouth flickering, unsure of how to respond. You quickly elaborated. “I’ve always had a bad view of Hunters… Most of them seem cocky, self-absorbed, irresponsible. But you don’t seem that way. You’re sweet, and gentle, and, I don’t know... Just better,” you try and explain. He offers a smile in return.

“You’re different, too. Many Warlocks that I’ve met act like they know everything, and it’s refreshing to find one that’s down-to-earth and humble,” Shiro confesses, and as much as you like the comfort of his cloak, you could have taken it off because you were sure every inch of your skin was red by now. “And, you know, not all Warlocks are as cute as you.”

You find yourself lost for words, which is funny because you’re a Warlock and you typically have a plethora of things to say. Not this time. So you lose yourself to his embrace, your arms wrapping around his thick torso. He returns it, strong and unwilling to let go.

“When will I see you again?” you mutter into his chest, and he sighs, upset that the mood had to be broken with serious matters. All your mind was consumed with was the next time you could be like this, scared that this could be the last time. And you knew it easily could be.

“I’m not sure,” Shiro admitted. “It’s hard to tell. Could be weeks, could be months, depending on far the Fallen get with SIVA.” You say nothing, and let yourself cling onto each moment in his arms. You’re reminded of why you didn’t want a Hunter in the first place. “But I do want to get to know you better,” he notes. “I’ll come back for you, so will you give me a chance, Lady Guardian?”

He said you weren’t like other Warlocks, so maybe you shouldn’t be so close-minded like the rest of them. It wouldn’t be fair to let these feelings go so quickly, not to him, not to you.

“I’ll be waiting, then,” you giggled, and his face lit up, glowing bright against the blanket of night.

You thought Hunters were lone wolves. You thought they could never make a commitment, or take on responsibilities. But Warlocks did not know everything, and you did not know that this incident would bring about better stories than Cayde-6 could tell. You did not know how powerful a Warlock and Hunter could be together, and you did not know of the tragic endings your beginning could bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayeee it's my first destiny fanfic! I'm not too sure where I want to go with this yet, so sorry if these first few chapters turn out shaky. I'm playing around with using gun names and descriptions as my prompts for each chapter, and I'm thinking that this will be a series of interconnected one-shots unless I somehow come up with a decent plot. I noticed Shiro hasn't gotten too much love on this site, so I had to throw this out there. Thanks for reading, and I hope it was decent enough! :)


	2. Annual Skate

_"When the lake used to freeze, people would dance on the ice wearing boots with tiny swords. And fall in love."_

 

“Guardian, it’s almost ten in the morning,” you feel your ghost nudging your arm. “Guardian, you have three messages: two of them pressing. You should really get up.” Ghost hovering close to your forehead, you peel your eyes open and the first thing you see is their singular eye bore incredulously into you.

 

“I’m so cozy though,” you lulled, turning your head to nuzzle into a pillow. Your ghost nudges you again, less in a wake-you-up-peacefully sort of way and in more of a stop-being-so-damn-lazy kind of way.

 

“You have all of the time in the world to get cozy again after your meeting with Ikora,” they badgered. That certainly woke you up. Were you late for a meeting with Ikora? Since _when_ did you have a meeting with Ikora? Oh gods, you didn’t want to be chewed out by her. She’s the kind of woman who stays completely calm when she’s angry. Honestly, the worst kind of angry. Terrifying. Absolutely. Terrifying.

 

“Meeting? What meeting?” you say, prepared to jump out of bed. “I was never informed of any meeting.”

 

“She requested it this morning at nine. Apparently it’s urgent. She’d like you there at ten-thirty.” Okay. So you weren’t as bad on time as you could be. You could snooze for fifteen minutes, have your ghost transmat your robes on you, and even be there early.

 

“You said I have two other messages. Who are those from?”

 

“Oh, right! I almost forgot! One is from your fireteam, it’s the report from your last mission. I doubt you care about it though, so I’ll file it away if you ever need to reference it. And the last one is from Shiro-4. He’s requesting your presence tonight when he’s off-duty,” your ghost said casually, like it’s no big deal. But it _is_ a big deal because he’s stationed at the Iron Temple on what seems to be a crisis, and why would he be requesting you, the girl he’s met literally once, when he’s caught in the middle of a massive SIVA outbreak?

 

“He wants me? At the Iron Temple?” you questioned. Your ghost humed in response.

 

“Do you want me to tell him you can’t be there?”

 

“No no no, I’ll be there! Just an unexpected request, that’s all.” You wouldn’t skip out on a chance like this. Not when you haven’t seen him in several weeks.

 

Maybe this meeting would be a little more tolerable with Shiro to look forward to.

 

* * *

 

 

Ten-thirty, right on time. You weren’t early, like you had mentally planned, but the snooze button had been kind to you. At least you weren’t late. That’s all Ikora should expect out of you anyways.

 

As you approached the Vanguard table, she turned towards you expectantly. “Guardian, we have important details to discuss.”

 

“About?” you questioned.

 

“About your current assignment.” You sighed internally. You were a Vanguard Researcher: you should be expecting to be reassigned to a new location at a moment’s notice. But most of the time you stayed in the Tower, which enabled you to travel as you pleased, and you were disappointed because this meant you’d actually have to tell Shiro you couldn’t meet him tonight. “Your skills have been requested elsewhere, and it’s crucial that you leave immediately.” Great.

 

“How long will my assignment be for?” you asked. Ikora only shook her head.

 

“My apologies, Guardian, but the Vanguard are unsure at the time. Still, this should be a good opportunity for you to continue your research in technology. This is important and you’ll have any resources you need at your disposal. Vanguard Scout Shiro-4 and I agreed that you’d be the most qualified candidate to work with SIVA.”

 

“Wait, _Shiro_ asked for me?” you instantly blurted out. Ikora raised an eyebrow in response. Shit.

 

“Yes. Do you happen to know him, Warlock?”

 

“We’ve met once,” you answered vaguely, with more calm in your voice this time, as to not arouse any more suspicion. You prayed she’d buy it, considering your previous outburst.

 

“Good. Hopefully that will make your transition easier then. And if you need any more assistance, we have many qualified guardians stationed there ready to assist you. Lord Saladin has much experience with SIVA, and Tyra Karn is always available to answer any questions you have on the case,” Ikora said. “But for now, you should pack and head straight for the Iron Temple. They’ll be expecting you there.”

 

“Then I’ll be taking my leave,” you nodded, and turned on your heels before Ikora stopped you.

 

“And Warlock? Be careful. Although we know much, we do not know all, and we do not yet know what SIVA is capable of,” she cautioned.

 

“Will do,” you said quickly, eager to see Shiro. The moment she released you, you began striding quickly to leave the Vanguard room. And the moment you’re out of sight, you’re sprinting to your room, because the sooner you packed, the sooner you’d be at the Iron Temple, and the sooner you’d see Shiro again.

 

Annoying how an Exo could make you more excited than the prospect of being the first to research SIVA in-person.

 

Stupid Hunter.

 

* * *

 

 

That did not turn out like you had expected. The moment you landed, you were anticipating Shiro meeting you there, to at least tell you he missed you. Or even just to show face. But nope. You got Tyra Karn.

 

Not that she was a bad person, she was wonderful and intelligent, and had you not been so impatient to see what the Hunter wanted, she would have been a nice person to have an intellectual conversation with. It was quite the curse. You were supposed to be there for SIVA. You were supposed to _want_ to be there for SIVA. But you were actually there for Shiro.

 

Sorry, Ikora.

 

She showed you to your quarters, and let you get accomodated with your new living and work space. The room you were given wasn’t horrible, but you certainly have had nicer at other posts. It was extremely small, with just enough room for the bare necessities. Not that you had packed more than that though. But it would have been nice if they gave a space with some breathing room. Oh well. At least it was clean.

 

On the other hand, your work space was beautiful compared to your living quarters. But really, your living quarters could be called your sleeping room instead, given that you’d probably be living in your work. You a had high-end computer with a triple monitor setup and one of those fancy keyboards with the color-changing backlight you had always wanted. You had plenty of spare tech parts at your disposal, and handfuls of tiny metal tools you’d never used before. You assumed they were for picking at the tiny parts that made up SIVA tech.

 

You spent time setting up your computer to your personal preferences and transferring useful software and programs over. It took a fair bit of time given your precision and pickiness with your work materials. But you figured, why change how you work when its what got you stationed here? Everything had to be perfect if you were going to deal with some incredible tech.

 

“Working hard already, Lady Guardian?” you heard a familiar voice say smoothly behind you. You swivel your chair around to see Shiro leaning against the doorway. Your heart rate picked up immediately on sight, and you did everything in your power to stay as cool and casual as him and not blush.

 

“Not really, doing some basic setup,” you replied. His gaze on you is kind, sweet, and you wonder if it’s intentional or if it’s the way he looks at everyone. You hoped he only looked at you like this.

 

“Basic? You’ve been working since you got here, and the sun has already set,” he said, and your eyes widen. You must have been here for hours, but it feels like you’ve been here for thirty minutes at max. He moved out of his lean and towards you. You gulped, anticipating his next move. But all he does is extend a hand towards you. “The reason I messaged you earlier is because I have something I wanted to show you here. Don’t suppose you’d be interested?” You curled your fingers around his, and he pulled you up strongly.

 

“I certainly am,” you said, and his face lit up bright blue.

 

Definitely worth all the waiting.

  


* * *

 

 

He was taking you somewhere far away from the Iron Temple, you had been walking down and trudging through snow for an eternity. Well, eternity for a Warlock. You weren’t used to these things like Hunters were.

 

You did enjoy it though. He was just as charming as your drunk self remembered him to be. The two of you chatted idly about the wolves at the Temple, and how if you were patient enough, sometime they’d let you pet them. Didn’t make Saladin happy apparently. You said you’d take your chances.

 

Despite how much you pushed him, Shiro wouldn’t tell you where he was taking you. You could only wonder where a Hunter would be taking you in the middle of nowhere. One of the best things about Hunters was they always knew the most beautiful places in the wilds. Not that you’d admit it, but you had always wanted a Hunter to take you stargazing. You’d bet that Hunters knew all the best places where the stars shined the brightest. Since the stars from the view of the tower were virtually nonexistent. You know, pollution and shit.

 

The ground finally evened out after a fair while of walking downhill. Going back up after all of this would be the challenge, since Shiro insisted the two of you walk instead of taking his ship. Up ahead, you see a large expanse of ice, and is that metal poking out of the ground? You look up at Shiro, but he gives no response and continues walking.

 

It’s a lake, frozen thoroughly, and as you’re at the edge of the ice, you look down. The metal you saw earlier was boots with little knives attached to them? No, swords. Wait, blades? You scrunched an eyebrow.

 

“Ice skates,” Shiro said to your unspoken question. “Tyra told me that people in the Golden Age would use these to glide on the ice.” He leaned down and started to take off his boots, replacing his with the ones with blades. Shiro did so with ease, and he seemed accustomed to them already. You, on the other hand, struggled even putting the damn things on. He laughed, then took them from you. “Here, sit down. I’ll get them for you.” You did as told, albeit a bit embarrassed. You told yourself he’s a Hunter, he has much better balance, it’s okay for you to struggle. Right?

 

After he finished tying the laces into bows, he grasped your small hands with his larger ones and looked at you mischievously. “Careful, Warlock. It’s slippery,” and in one fluid motion, he pulled you from off the ground and onto the frozen lake. You had no idea how to balance on these stupid things, and from the moment your feet found ice you were flailing your legs, unable to find stability.

 

This was embarrassing.

 

Meanwhile, while you were struggling, Shiro was bursting into fits of laughter. Before you collapsed after many failed attempts at stabilizing yourself, he wrapped his arms around your waist tightly, supporting you while you finally found purchase. “Meanie…” you muttered, all while Shiro was attempting to hold back the rest of his laughter. And failing.

 

“That… was really cute,” he chuckled, pulling you in closer. You moved your arms around him so you wouldn’t mess up and end up falling for real this time. The two of you stood like this for a moment, enjoying each other’s heat in contrast to the ice radiating cold onto you from below. “Ready for the real challenge?” he asked, and you looked up at him, almost panicked.

 

“There’s more?” Shiro slowly skates backwards, moving his hands from your body, and you’re about to freak out again.

 

“Just relax. You won’t fall. I’m here,” Shiro moves to your side and wraps his arm around your waist. You return the gesture so you have more stability. “Lift up your foot, put it forward, and push gently.” He demonstrates, all while dragging you along. Shiro’s graceful, and it looks like it all comes naturally to him. It probably does. Bladedancers are elegant, and it shows in each movement. Every motion he makes is fluid, and it entrances you.

 

You try and follow suit, but you look like a child trying to take their first steps. But he’s patient, and helps you recover after each time you almost fall. Which is almost every step you take.

 

And his patience pays off. It always does. Soon, you’re not stumbling as much as you were a few minutes ago, and the rhythm starts to click. Your skating is not as beautiful as Shiro’s, but that’s okay. You’ve already accepted that it never will be.

 

“You think you’re ready for me to let go?” Shiro asks, and you nod your head, corners of your lips perking up. You’re confident that even if you’re not as good at this as Shiro, you can at least stay upright at this point. “Then show me what you’re made of, Lady Guardian.” He winks at you, then slowly pulls his arm away from your hip. He’s still watching carefully, as to make sure nothing happens. You’re fine for the first few seconds. Shiro’s still at your side, keeping the pace you set.

 

But this wasn’t as fast as he was going, and now that you’re finally moving independently, you get a little cockier in your abilities. You pick up the pace, attempting to show off, but it’s too much for you. Your feet can’t keep up with how fast the blades are sliding against the ice, and you’re just about to go down again. Shiro grabs your waist, but it’s too late at this point. You’re already thrashing your arms and legs trying to balance, but it’s impossible and you begin to crumple. Shiro goes down too, and he grabs your hips so you land on him and not the ice.

 

A gentleman to the very end, huh?

 

“You don’t need to be ashamed if you still need me. I like holding you,” Shiro said, arms still wrapped around you. You make an effort to get off of him, but he holds you still to him. “Stay like this. Just a little longer.” Too tired to push any more, you nuzzle your head into the crook of his neck, and he rubs circles on the small of your back.

 

You decide this would be the perfect time to ask him about your assignment to the Iron Temple and his involvement in it, seeing as he wasn’t moving any time soon. “So Ikora told me you requested me here?” you asked. Shiro hums.

 

“Yea, I did. After I first talked to you that one time at the bar, Cayde kept telling me more and more about you. You’re brilliant. I’ve seen what you’ve done. All of your research and work on Braytech is astounding. There’s nobody else with your kind of history in the field. You’re invaluable to this operation,” Shiro said. He moves his mouth plates closer to your ear, and speaks in a hushed voice. “And, you know, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you it was a little personal. There’s no other Warlock I’d rather have here than you. Couldn’t tell Ikora that, though. Otherwise she’d send someone else that wouldn’t distract me.”

 

“Am I a good distraction, though?”

 

“The best kind,” he replies gently. His hand has moved from your back and up to caress your hair, and it finally goes to your cheek. It guides your face so your forehead is resting on his, and his optics are staring into your eyes intensely. And it feels just _right_ to let your eyelids flutter shut. Shiro’s got the same idea, because he shuts his optics completely as he tilts his head. Slowly, carefully, delicately, your lips find each other, and you melt into it, sighing contently as he presses back. He can’t kiss like a human would. It’s different, completely unorthodox, but it’s a good kind of weird. Definitely something you could get used to. You relax as cradles your head in his hand, stroking his thumb against your cheek while his other hand is tangled in your hair, pulling you in closer.

 

After a few moments, you reluctantly pull away, and rest your forehead on his once again. He’s smiling at you, and you giggle like a little school girl. His hands are looped in your hair, playing with it idly while you bask in this new sensation.

 

“Hey, Lady Guardian?” Shiro whispers in your ear.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I think I’ve fallen for you,” he winks, and you playfully punch him in the arm. This dork.

 

“That’s a terrible pun,” you laugh, and he ruffles your hair. “But I think I’ve fallen for you too.”

 

“Yea, you almost fell about a million times.”

 

“Shut up!”

 

Starlight from the night above shone onto the frozen lake and the couple below it. The snow raged on heavier as the time passed, but neither seemed to care, as the warmth from one another was all they needed. This wasn’t a simple time like the Golden Age: there was non-stop war and constant battles. But still, they kept dancing as the snow persisted, and fell.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever! I wrote out a chapter with a different prompt, but as I continued it became too deep for a second chapter and I figured it'd be best saved for later on. So I had to write something else. Derp.
> 
> Ayeee but I just made a Tumblr! I'm doing requests for headcanon posts and whatnot, so come say hi, request, or complain about Solstice of Heroes with me! My url is "shiros-thighs". ;)


	3. Does Not Compute

_ “The engineers aren't ready for us.” _

 

“Lord Saladin gives both of us the day off, and of all things we could be doing,  _ this _ is what you choose?” you said incredulously, reluctantly following Shiro up the mountain. Your arms are crossed, partly because you’re upset with the Exo, partly to conserve body heat. The SIVA crisis was raging on, and it was rare to get a moment to catch your breath amidst the chaos. But there had been a decrease in Fallen activity in the Plaguelands, and Saladin let the two of you off the hook for the day. It surely wouldn’t last and you’d be back at it by dawn of the next morning, but any free time was a blessing from the Traveler itself at this point.

 

Unfortunately, your boyfriend was obsessed with his work. Selfless and dedicated to a fault, almost. And when he had found out you don’t use weapon types apart from your typical loadout, he viewed it as his obligation to teach you. Other guardians would probably die for an opportunity like this, to be trained the Tower’s greatest assassin. But honestly? You wished he had something a little more romantic in mind for today other than teaching you how to snipe the brains out of the Fallen.

 

“It’s important. Yea, I get you prefer an auto rifle. I prefer using a sidearm, myself. But what if your gun breaks and you’re deep in the wilds and you have to rely on the artillery of the ones you’ve slain? If you can’t be resourceful with you’re given, you’re as good as gone,” Shiro rambles.

 

You sighed. “Shiro, I’ll be fine. I’m rarely in the wilds anyways. That’s more of a Hunter kind of job, not one for a Warlock.” The moment you say this, he turns on his heels to face you. You then realized how those words could be perceived as ignorance, and you see it on his face that he took it that way. His mouth plates turned down, and his intense glare stopped you dead in your tracks. Shit. Here came another boring lecture from a veteran guardian. You’d gotten plenty of those from Ikora.

 

“Listen, you Warlocks may spend most of your time in your libraries, but that doesn’t make your fighting skills any less important. You’re a Vanguard Researcher, and you can easily be dispatched into a mission that is outside of the confines of any walls. Hell, if Lord Saladin wanted you to move into the Plaguelands for a mission you’d have no choice. And when you get more years on you, you’ll be forced into these kinds of situations. I’d prefer my girlfriend to come back alive,” Shiro fumed. His fists were clenched, and each breath he took was heavy. You reached out to take one of his hands, and his face softened slightly at the innocent gesture. Shiro opened up his palms, and you slipped your fingers between the cracks of his. They felt bitter, metal retaining cold, but you held on anyways, hoping to ease some of his anger.

 

“I’m sorry, Shiro, I didn’t… I didn’t think of it like that,” you said, eyes pointed down at the ground, afraid to meet his gaze. You shifted your feet uncomfortably, and one of his hands suddenly left yours. His thumb and forefinger lightly grasped your chin and turned your face to look at his.

 

“Hey, I’m sorry for snapping at you,” Shiro said as he let his fingers trace the side of your face. You finally took a glance at his optics, and the Exo looked genuinely remorseful. “I only want to prepare you for these things because I’m afraid of losing you. I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you. I’ve seen too many young guardians lose their light because they weren’t careful enough. But this is different. You’re not just some Warlock to me. So, my lady, would you please do this? For me?” He knows you love it when he calls you that, and his face perked up when you grinned because of it. Shiro lifted your hand to his mouth plates, and although he couldn’t really kiss you, the gesture made you feel equally as fuzzy.

 

“I was hoping we’d do something more romantic, like cuddle by the fire and drink hot cocoa, and pet Saladin’s wolves, but if you insist, I’ll do it,” you giggled, and Shiro squeezed your hand.

 

“Who said I didn’t plan anything romantic?” Shiro winked. I mean, if you got some quality time with Shiro after this, you could put up with a few hours of sniping.

 

“Like what?” you said excitedly, eyes bright. He lowered his head to your ear and pulled your waist close so your robes were just barely brushing him.

 

“If you snipe good you’ll find out,” his voice deepened. Shiro hovered there for a moment while you processed everything. You tried to say something, anything, but the words were caught in your mouth and all you could do was stutter. He chuckled, and pulled you into a hug, much sweeter than his tone suggested. “Ready to begin, Lady Guardian?” The sooner you started, the sooner you’d find out what he had planned. Although you were nervous of what his intentions were, you were too curious to say no. Faults of a Warlock.

 

Shiro began setting up his sniper rifle on the peak. Like his sidearm, it had been kit-bashed, but didn’t look any less tasteful than something you’d pick up from Banshee. Although it was made up from parts of multiple different sniper rifles, it had been painted up in Shiro’s signature gold and black to look like its own entity. He laid down in the deep banks of snow, adjusted his hold on the gun, and patted the ground next to him. You took your spot, reluctantly allowing the snow to embrace you. You’d much rather be at the Iron Temple letting Shiro embrace you instead, watching the snow from afar.

 

“See that Fallen camp below? They’re non-augmented, low-ranked, and perfect target practice,” Shiro explained. He handed the sniper rifle over to you, and you attempted to grasp it properly. “I kit-bashed this one. It’s superior on range and quiet too, so if you miss your first shot you’ll have time to get a few more in before they find the source.” Shiro watched you in amusement as you tried to find your way around the damn device. But it was designed to Shiro’s schematics and not yours, and your hands were much smaller than his. You couldn’t loop your hand fully around the base of the weapon, and your finger was having trouble even grazing the trigger.

 

“Need some help, little Warlock?” Shiro teased. You crinkled your nose and resumed your futile attempts to wield the sniper.

 

“Save it, metal head,” you retorted. Shiro moved closer to you, and his body closed in over yours. You tensed. “What are you-”

 

“Relax. Don’t tense your shoulders like that or your aim will be off,” Shiro commented. You wanted to tell him that when he’s  _ this damn close _ it was hard not to be nervous, but instead you kept quiet, not wanting to risk being teased once more. His hands covered yours to adjust your grip, and you had to try even harder to keep a hold on your emotions. “It’ll be more comfortable if you hold the trigger like this. And put your other hand right here, it’ll help with stability and recoil.” He continued to comment on your stance, and moved his body with yours as you adjusted. “Why are your hands shaking so much?”

 

“It’s too cold out here,” you muttered. Excuses, excuses. You hoped that he wouldn’t move to look at your face, he’d see right through that one.

 

“I have plenty of ways to remedy that, Lady Guardian,” he whispered low in your ear. “But I’ll save it until we get back to the Temple. See that Wretch left to the base of that tree? Aim for the head, and once you’ve gotten over your giddiness, take a shot.” Which embarrassed you more: Shiro’s suggestive comments, or the fact he’d caught onto the reason for your nervousness? You’d have to think on that one. But at least he was kind enough to hold your hands even tighter to eliminate some of the shakiness.

 

You looked into the scope, and after a few moments, you focused the red dot over the Wretch’s head. Pausing for a second, you made sure your shot would be perfect. And you fired. The Wretch dropped instantly, and you grinned as the Fallen moved around in a panicked frenzy. Confident in your skills, you took another shot, this time at a Dreg. It wasn’t a headshot, but the bullet nestled in the center of its chest, enough to take it down. Shiro was smiling too, and moved his hand to squeeze your shoulder. “You’re a natural.”

 

“Only because I learnt from the best,” you responded cheekily, and you tilted your head to plant a kiss on Shiro’s jawline. He pushed the sniper rifle out of your hands and flipped you over to return your affection. His arms caged around your frame, and all while making sure he wasn’t crushing you, he pressed his mouth on yours. You happily responded, laughing into his kiss.

 

You both nestled in the cover of the snow for a few minutes underneath the warmth of his heavy cloak before Shiro spoke again. “The Fallen aren’t ready to deal with you, that’s for sure, my lady.”

 

“That wasn’t too bad, I’ll admit,” you said. “What weapon are we trying next?”

 

“Pulse rifle? It’s not too far off from your auto rifle, and it has good impact,” he responds, rubbing small circles on your arm. “Not today though. You mentioned something about hot cocoa and wolves? Care to tell me a little more of what you were thinking with that?” You instantly light up.

 

“Yea! Lord Saladin gets mad whenever people pet the wolves at the base of the Temple, but sometimes they go inside by the fire. We can sneak in and pet them so he doesn’t see. I haven’t been able to pet one since I got here! And Tyra has a huge supply of hot chocolate, and she lets me into it whenever I ask. And we could dry off from the snow by one of the fires and maybe cuddle?”

 

“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” Shiro said. He rested his chin on your forehead and continued to hold you. He was unfazed by the cold and clearly had no concerns of leaving his current position. You, on the other hand, wanted the warmth of the hot chocolate and wolves.

 

“What did you mean by what you said early? About warming me up?” you teased, trying to signal to him you wanted to leave. Shiro chuckled.

 

“Trust me, you’ll find out soon enough. But first, hot cocoa.” Shiro attached the sniper rifle to his back, and then lifted you into his arms. You squeaked at the sudden action, but were too tired to protest.

 

“Try and relax, we’ll be home soon. Rest while you can, I don’t think I need to explain why.”

 

Weapons training was quite possibly your least favorite thing, but if it ended up like this each time, you possibly could come to tolerate it. Maybe. Just maybe.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I procrastinated writing this chapter by eating an entire bowl of mini donuts. I'm not sure if I should be satisfied or ashamed.
> 
> Also writing college apps sucks writing about my sweet stabby boi is a nice change of pace (also sorry this one is so short I also blame that on college apps sucking and me needing to write more of them)


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